The Grateful Dead Archive
Band member · core
Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan
Keys · harmonica · vocals
Years1965–1972
Shows815
Born1945† 1973
Mark✕
Bio
Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan: keys, harmonica, raconteur, the band's blues conscience. Grew up soaking in R&B through his father, a Bay Area radio DJ who spun that music for a living. Sang Lovelight, Caution, Smokestack Lightning until they were sermons. Drank himself into liver failure and died at 27 on March 8th, 1973. The band stopped playing his songs the night he died and never really started again.
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— full archive, paged one year at a time
viewing1968
| # | Date | Venue | City | Release | Songs | Play | Setlist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 1968-01-17 | Carousel Ballroom | San Francisco, California | 12 | open ↗ | ||
| 02 | 1968-01-20 | Eureka Municipal Auditorium | Eureka, California | Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 2 | 11 | open ↗ | |
| 03 | 1968-01-26 | Eagles Auditorium | Seattle, Washington | 12 | open ↗ | ||
| 04 | 1968-01-27 | Eagles Auditorium | Seattle, Washington | 12 | open ↗ | ||
| 05 | 1968-01-29 | Portland State College | Portland, Oregon | — | open ↗ | ||
| 06 | 1968-01-30 | EMU Ballroom | Eugene, Oregon | Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 2 | 3 | open ↗ | |
| 07 | 1968-02-02 | Crystal Ballroom | Portland, Oregon | Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 2 | 6 | open ↗ | |
| 08 | 1968-02-03 | Crystal Ballroom | Portland, Oregon | 10 | open ↗ | ||
| 09 | 1968-02-04 | Southern Oregon College | Ashland, Oregon | — | open ↗ | ||
| 10 | 1968-02-14 | Carousel Ballroom | San Francisco, California | Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 2 | 15 | open ↗ | |
| 11 | 1968-02-15 | San Quentin State Prison | San Quentin, California | — | open ↗ | ||
| 12 | 1968-02-16 | Stanislaus County Fairgrounds | Turlock, California | — | open ↗ | ||
| 13 | 1968-02-17 | Selland Arena | Fresno, California | 5 | open ↗ | ||
| 14 | 1968-02-22 | Kings Beach Bowl | Kings Beach, California | 7 | open ↗ | ||
| 15 | 1968-02-23 | Kings Beach Bowl | Kings Beach, California | 8 | open ↗ | ||
| 16 | 1968-02-24 | Kings Beach Bowl | Kings Beach, California | 13 | open ↗ | ||
| 17 | 1968-03-01 | Clifford's Catering | Walnut Creek, California | — | open ↗ | ||
| 18 | 1968-03-02 | Clifford's Catering | Walnut Creek, California | 2 | open ↗ | ||
| 19 | 1968-03-03 | Haight Street at Cole | San Francisco, California | 6 | open ↗ | ||
| 20 | 1968-03-08 | Melodyland Theater | Anaheim, California | 1 | open ↗ |
- Road Trips
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Signature shows
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Songs debuted in this era
— Primal Dead · 1965–1971
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